CHAPTER 25: ANCIENT BATTLE
“Can you believe it?” I said through gritted teeth to Aiden. “For thousands of years we have protected mankind, guarded them, and now the Ladies of Light think that it’s okay to . . . to . . . kill them.” I threw my key to the Divine Library. It clanged against a golden artifact, and a chip of metal soared through the air, reflecting in the soft light.
“Abelie, don’t worry,” Aiden soothed. “Everything will work out, I promise.”
I sat down with a huff. “How can you say that? What is it that you think you can do?”
“You know that the Guardians won’t let them go through with their plans.” He placed his hand over mine in comfort.
“Plans?” I snapped. “You mean the mass extermination of mankind? ‘Plans’ is just not a dirty enough word for what they have in store. How about genocide or massacre or . . . or slaughter?”
He sighed heavily at my disdainful look. “I know you’re upset, love. We all are, really. How could they make that kind of a decision without conferring with the Halo of the Sun? Andrew and Ehno are especially angry. Trust me, I hear their thoughts.”
“Okay,” I bit back, swelling with the deepest of loathing toward the Ladies of Light. “What are the Halos going to do about it? What if the Ladies of Light refuse to back down? You know how powerful they are, how easily they could strike an angel down. Their power sometimes disgusts me. They wear their title on their skin like they’re Gods. Haven’t we already made that mistake in the past—you know, with the Soul Stalker’s brothers? Stupid worthless fools,” I responded in a tone of revulsion. I took my hand back and folded my arms angrily. I was so overwhelmed with irritation.
Aiden stared at me with pure love in his eyes. He knew I was livid, but he knew I still loved him with all of my heart. “The Ladies of Light know not to do anything rashly. They’ll probably speak to the Prophetess. The Guardians are already planning a meeting.” He leaned in closer to me and put his hand on my arm. “I can understand your anger. I’m also enraged. What they’ve proposed is ludicrous.”
I deflated some at his words. “Well, you aren’t having any sort of meeting without the Elders. Count us in.”
He smiled at me. “I wouldn’t think anything different.”
We were silent for several lengthy seconds. Unfolding my arms, I leaned even closer to Aiden. I was sure the terror was evident on my face. “But what if this doesn’t work out? What if they go ahead with their plans? The humans will be helpless. And what if they fight back against you?” I cringed at the thought. “I love you, and it would kill me, literally, if something were to happen to you.”
He smirked, trying to lighten the mood. “Nothing is going to happen to me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do,” he insisted, rather smugly. “We’re immortal; we’ll never die.”
“ ‘Never’ is a word I wouldn’t use when it comes to the inevitable fate even us angels possess,” I countered. I hated how calm he seemed about the whole situation. What were the Ladies of Light thinking? “Are they going to be invited to this meeting?”
He looked as though he was deep in thought, but I knew he was communicating telepathically with his brothers. “I suppose it’s best if they do come.” He rubbed his jaw in thought. “Abelie, please don’t let this worry you, not until we talk things through and figure this whole ordeal out.” He leaned in and cupped my face. His breath was warm on my lips. “No matter what happens, I’ll do everything in my power to protect you and to protect mankind.”
When I was about to protest the fact I didn’t need him to protect me, he closed the distance between our lips. The warm, soft embrace was enough to make me forget about the threat, at least for the moment.
“Quiet!” sounded a booming voice in the crowded theatre. Whispers died down immediately. There was a charge in the room as everyone focused their attention front and center. There was not enough seating for all of the angels; luckily only a select group of elite was invited. We had not met there in several hundred years, but the Pompeii Odeum was the only place we could find at short notice. It was old but useful.
“We’ve gathered to discuss an alternative proposal to our previous proposition,” Liz, a Lady of Light, addressed us while she smirked unpleasantly. She wore her usual white, silk robes that conformed perfectly to her body. Through the silk you could see tattoos covered every inch of her skin. She was tall and striking with her long white hair, which matched perfectly with her white eyes. “After speaking with the Halo of the Sun and the Prophetess, we have decided that mass extermination is probably not the best idea.” She looked displeased with having to agree to that fact. “Our alternative suggestion would be to enslave mankind.”
There was uproar in the crowed. Liz continued through the commotion. “They’re killing this planet. They’re evil and murderous. They’re filthy creatures.”
I leaned over to whisper furiously into Aiden’s ear. “And you agreed to this ‘idea’?”
He turned to look at me, his eyes wide with innocence. He shook his head back and forth. “No, we disagreed.”
“So why isn’t anyone doing anything about it?” I snapped, wild with impatience. “Killing humans is probably better than making them into slaves. This is outrageous! You’d think they would remember when we were mere mortals. Things weren’t so wonderful when we were slaves of that repugnant king. But humans now a days don’t even possess magic like we did. This just . . . I just can’t believe . . . it’s revolting!”
“We’ll come together to build a better, more peaceful world where angels and humans coexist,” Liz continued, barely able to conceal her broad grin.
There was another outbreak of muttering among the masses.
“Coexist?” I bit in a low, furious whisper. “How is slavery coexisting?” My voice had a note of hysteria in it.
“It’s sickening,” Aiden agreed.
“Why aren’t you speaking up? I would, but I’m only an Elder.”
“Because”—he looked at me like I had lost my mind—“if someone speaks out of turn, or does anything to humiliate one of the Ladies, then they might get struck down.” His voice lowered. “They have killed immortals before. They won’t stand for disobedience. We’ll need time to think of another strategy. We thought we had talked them down, but apparently this only opened them up to more brutal ideas.”
“Obviously,” I said angrily, looking back down at the three women with distaste, casting them a venomous look.
Liz appeared rather smug that no one had stopped her from her from making her proclamation. Mimi, another Lady of Light, stood only a foot or so behind her. She closed the distance and leaned over to whisper something into Liz’s ear. The superior look on Liz’s face twisted as she broke out into a wicked smile. Shivers shot up my spine. What now?
“We will start the integration of humans into our lives shortly. Mimi has already devised a plan to make things run smoothly,” Liz continued in her horrible, honeyed voice while she smiled self-righteously.
I wanted to slap that awful look right off of her face. And at that thought, I smiled. Lucia, the other Lady of Light, stood farther back. She had the same expression on her face as I did: revulsion and abhorrence. I had always liked Lucia, and her expression only made me like her more. I wondered why she wasn’t doing something to stop this. Of all the angels present, she had the most power. She was the number one pick for the Ladies of Light.
When the small murmurings of the crowed died down, Liz raised her arms in a gesture to let us know the meeting was over. There was a dubious smile stretching her wide mouth. “That is all. You’re dismissed. We’ll gather again shortly to discuss our next move.”
Behind the closed doors of the Divine Library, the Halo of the Sun, the Elders, and even some of the Guardian Angels gathered around in the confined space. The noise was heightened when Andrew, Ehno, and Aiden stepped up on a small landing next to artifacts from ancient Greece. I sa
t next to Luke and Carmela. Of all the Elders, they were my favorites. I was quiet, but they both spoke animatedly about a topic I couldn’t hear. As Luke spoke, he would gently place his hand on her knee, and she would lightly touch his arm when she leaned in to say something. Even after four thousand years, their love had not gone any farther than the longing in their burning gazes.
Suddenly, all the Halo of the Sun quit talking. That was everyone’s cue to quiet down and listen. Briefly, I wondered what it would be like to be a Halo and have your thoughts shared when you wished.
“We’ve met with the Ladies of Light twice now, and they refuse to back down from their plans,” Andrew said. “Mimi has already devised a well thought-out plan that will have Italy under our thumb in a matter of weeks.” Angry shouts erupted from the crowd. “We can’t allow it, but their cycle won’t be up for another fifty years. This is a problem.”
“So what do you plan on doing about it?” a Guardian shouted.
“I don’t plan on doing anything,” Andrew countered. “But we can work together to strategize so we can stop them from making this horrific mistake.”
“And when you say strategize you mean what?” the Guardian shot back.
“We fight back,” Aiden stated firmly. There was a murmur of general agreement. Aiden was a force to be reckoned with, and the Guardian knew it. He backed down from his line of questioning. “They aren’t going to let this go. Whether we like it or not they’re planning on enslaving mankind.”
Luke and Carmela looked at me with wide eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I whispered crossly. “What else would you have us do? Fight, or go against everything we’ve always believed? Hum?”
Luke nodded. “Fight.”
“Exactly,” I agreed in triumph.
As the noise level grew in the enclosed space, I focused upon a small slit forming in the door of the Divine Library. I peered over the onslaught of Guardians in surprise. A dim light glimmered through the crack.
“Luke?” I shook his arm, never tearing my eyes from the goddess that had entered, unbeknownst to the angels inside.
“Abelie? What is—”
“What’s your sister doing here?” Carmela asked in disbelief.
“I don’t know, to be honest,” Luke blubbered. We all gawked in her direction for several seconds before conversations cut off around us, and several eyes followed the path of ours.
Immediately, Andrew, Ehno, and Aiden welcomed her up to the makeshift stage. Ehno had gently taken Lucia’s hand and kissed it. They spoke feverously to each other, their voices too soft to be heard, even through the silence of the crowd.
Finally, Andrew stepped forward. “Lucia has come to join our cause. She disagrees with Liz and Mimi’s plans and wishes to do whatever she can to help us.”
It was silent for several deafening seconds as everyone continued to gawk at the tattoo-covered goddess. She was powerful and respected, and now she was my hero. I began clapping. It wasn’t long before others followed my lead with a roar of approval.
Lucia, the most reserved of the Ladies of Light, advanced to the edge of the small platform. Her presence was powerful, and everyone had their full attention upon her as the clapping faded away.
“I’ve tried to talk my sisters down from this outrageous suggestion that we’re above mankind and deserve to enslave them.” Her voice was smooth and authoritative. “They won’t listen and refuse to have any more meetings. It’s time we fight back.”
A storm of catcalls and cheers erupted, the noise deafening.
The sun started to descend over the horizon, and the light momentarily blinded me. As I regained my sight, I noticed the two Ladies of Light at the top of a small incline. They were waiting for us.
They knew.
Behind me, hundreds of Guardians lined the horizon. Aiden shouted commands to them as they moved closer to the women. As the sun hit their bronzed metal armor, I turned back to see the two women stare at the scene with pure enmity in their eyes. When did the Ladies of Light become so hateful? What happened to the love and devotion they had always shown? When did they become so corrupt?
Ahead of me, I could see Ehno, Andrew, and Lucia. Their heads were close together as they talked rapidly to each other. Andrew’s golden eyes constantly darted up toward the Ladies of Light who stood there, waiting patiently to see what we would do. Ehno had both of Lucia’s hands in one of his as he reached up and tucked her auburn hair behind her ear. They were in love, you could tell just by the burning gazes they shot each other. Ehno pulled something from his sheath and placed it around her neck. It was the Guardian’s symbol. Lucia nodded to something he said before she broke away from them and walked toward the other Ladies of Light.
Every muscle in my body tensed, as if someone had electrocuted me. My eyes darted around before I looked to my right were Luke and Carmela held hands. The other Elders were on my left. The fear was obvious in their eyes. For the first time I wished I was telepathic instead of a healer, just so I could hear what was going through everyone’s minds.
We watched as Lucia stopped only feet away from the Ladies of Light. Her long auburn hair cascaded down her back as the wind blew it behind her. She was beyond beautiful; she was more goddess-like than I had ever remembered. Her tattoos wove up and down her dark skin. You could easily see through the short, white, silk dress that clung wildly to her with every rush of wind. Around her leg was a knife. It had the Definitive Sun symbol on it, one that showed great power among us.
Mimi and Liz clasped hands together, and a white light glowed between them. Fear gripped me, coiled through my stomach and up to my chest where my heart gave a horrible jolt. What were they doing?
Lucia looked over her shoulder, her light blue eyes warned me to stay quiet. I put my hand out and was about to protest, but Luke grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
“Luke?” I whispered. “Let me go.”
He shook his head; his eyes stared at me with a tempestuous intensity. This was his sister, his twin sister, and he was just going to let the Ladies of Light get away with this?
Lucia’s head turned in slow motion to stare at Luke. “If it’s a sacrifice I have to make, I’ll do it for you.”
There was a loud explosion, like fireworks, as tiny white lights descended upon Lucia. She didn’t move away or try to protect herself. As each tiny light hit her skin, she started to glow red.
“No,” I barely whispered. In that second, I wished that Aiden weren’t responsible for the Guardians behind me because I needed him to hold me, to tell me what I just saw wasn’t true. “No,” I shouted louder this time.
The Elders all turned to look at me, and their eyes begged me to stay quiet. They were scared.
They should be.
“No!” I screamed this time.
“It’s too late,” Luke whispered. His eyebrows scrunched together as tears pooled in his eyes. “She’s human.”
My eyes shot around the area. Why wasn’t anyone helping? Behind me, the Guardians all stood with their weapons out. What was the point if they weren’t going to use them? As I turned back to Luke, he stared off toward Lucia. The pained expression never left his face. Carmela held on to his hand with more fierceness, as if she were protecting him. As my gaze followed Luke’s, I took in the two women at the top of the hill, all in their white, like they were pure. In that moment, I wanted to scratch their eyes out and paint them in black. I wanted to burn the tattoos off their flesh. They weren’t worthy enough to wear such divine markings. We were protectors; we were not evil, yet these women were. A chill started at the base of my spine and worked its way up.
Twilight was upon us as the Earth swallowed the sun whole. The shadows of the Ladies of Light extended far beyond Lucia, almost as if they were consuming the place in darkness. No one moved—no one fought. What were we waiting for? This horrible crime was more than I could stand, and I stepped forward, ready to fight, even if it meant my life.
Hands gripped my waist and pulled me back. Aiden’s breath was at my neck. “You can’t fight them alone, love.”
Tears fell down my face. “Why are we standing here watching this?”
His warm lips kissed my neck. “By the time they cast the spell, it was too late. If they have the power to turn her human, they would do it to the rest of us.”
Carmela was no longer able to hold Luke up as he collapsed onto the ground. He sat on his knees as he looked up, and tears drowned his face. My heart broke for him.
“Lucia.”
Her name was like a sigh upon the wind. Lucia turned toward me again, fear and confusion written all over her face. Tears escaped her eyes as she closed them before she turned back to the Ladies of Light. I realized then that they didn’t turn her human because they couldn’t fight her, they did it to show they were above her—that they were above us all. I’d only heard of that spell, never seen it performed firsthand.
Mimi stepped forward, pulled her long knife from her leg, and held it up in the air. The knife that was meant as a symbol of angelic protection would be used to kill an angel. I gasped. Fear gripped me, and all I wanted to do was run up there and save her, but Aiden held me tighter.
“No,” I screamed. Rage propelled me forward, though Aiden was stronger and held with a firmer grip. Liz turned her white eyes upon my struggling form, and I froze. A mocking smile crept across her face. I wanted to slap that grin right off her face.
Then everything happened in a matter of a few seconds, as if someone made us move in fast forward.
Mimi put the knife high in the sky and then let it carve through the cool air as it plunged deep into Lucia’s chest. Lucia went down, her head falling back as a torturous sound tore from her lips. I gulped, trying to swallow the bile as I watched her white dress turn a brilliant crimson. Her head fell to the side, and the red blood dripped from her mouth. Her eyes were strangely unfocused. This was her ending. She was dead, and she would never return. And I couldn’t handle that thought. Immortality didn’t always mean forever, and today I knew that better than any other day. Her eyes were lifeless as they stared at me, the glacial blue tainted by the red blood in her veins.
Luke fell forward as his forehead hit the grass. He didn’t use magic during his time of wrath; he used only his strength as he tore away at the ground. Each second his body was consumed with earth-shattering sobs. The tears were relentless as they tumbled down my cheeks. I wiped them away, only to turn my fingers gold with the action.
There was no indecision as I took off. I sprinted toward Lucia. Someone had to help her. Maybe it wasn’t too late for my healing powers to help her. That was when all hell broke loose. I wasn’t the only one that couldn’t take the scene. Ehno took off toward the Ladies, sending curse after curse their direction, unable to do any damage. His movements were swift as he became a blur. Andrew tore after him. When they were both within ten feet of the Ladies of Light, they went down like two large sacks of potatoes. The same spell had turned them human, and Mimi ran forward and stabbed the two in the chest, just like with Lucia. My screams of protest echoed around me. Now their crimson blood joined Lucia’s, turning the grass a dark red. I felt sick as I dashed across the field, knowing if I didn’t reach them in time it would be too late. My gift of healing could save them. Not many knew of my gift, but now was not a time to hold back.
Aiden caught up to me within seconds. He pulled me to his chest. “Let me go,” I whispered frantically into his ear. “Please.”
His pleading eyes bored into mine, and he pulled me into a hug. “I can’t lose you. I’m too selfish to let you go.” He gripped me tighter. I pushed away from him and saw the most pained expression I’d ever seen. Tears rolled down his face.
I went limp in his arms, unable to hold myself together under all the unendurable agony that had gripped my body. He went down with me as he held me. Aiden no longer ordered the Guardians to attack, they were doing it of their own freewill. The movement below their feet made the Earth vibrate.
The Ladies of Light ripped through the hundreds of warriors as if they were nothing more than air. It was all too much.
“Stop!” I screamed toward the Ladies, the cry scratching my throat. It was as if a rock had decided to lodge itself there.
And that was when everything changed, when everything that was normal and made sense turned upside down and inside out and backwards. The Ladies of Light had joined hands again as they chanted their long streams of spells. I recognized the words that would be the end of them all—the Guardians—all the Halo of the Sun. They were the words of death, repeated over and over as the white glow expanded. It encompassed all those who attacked. When they were all enveloped in the light, Aiden let go and ran toward them, yelling at them to run and disperse. They didn’t listen, and suddenly Aiden was under the light along with them.
“Aiden. No! Please,” I screamed in a storm of protests. I ran, going toward my husband, my lover. The only reason I had to exist in this timeless immortality. “You can’t leave me.”
As I ate up the space between me and the light, two of the Elders reached out and held me back. “You can’t, Abelie,” Eleanor said.
“We can’t let this happen. All the Halo of the Sun, all the Guardians—there will be no one left to protect mankind.”
This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening. But it was. It really was.
The white light grew brighter and brighter, the intensity so vivid I had to shield my eyes. The center around the Ladies of Light grew to a deep blue. The sapphire light exploded out from the middle of the Guardians. It overtook them, rays of blinding light bursting from their every orifice right before we all fell to the ground from the spell.
My head hurt as the world spun around me. I stared up at a patch of starry sky, the moon full. Nothing made sense. Everything was wrong, different. Putting my hand to my temple, I sat up to see Shadows scattered across the ground under the pool of the dim moonlight, their skin black as charcoal. When I stared at the biggest one, it looked as though a flame ignited inside him and burned through his eyes. The frightening stories of Shadows slammed into my mind. There had been rumors, but I never believed it. The Shadow looked at me as if we knew each other before he raised his upper lip to expose his teeth. A growl escaped from deep in his chest. I backed away in terror, my world aligning in an unfamiliar pattern.